Growing in the late 90's and early 2000's, far far away in a land called Connecticut, I watched the aforementioned powerhouses dominate college football. Nowadays, it seems as if the state of Florida is growing more and more irrelevant. With Urban Meyer leaving Florida today, it seems as if things have never been worse.

What has happened since? Can someone from Florida, or someone who has followed Florida college football en masse explain to me why there's been such a large shift in power? Why have Miami and Florida State lost their dominance? Why did FSU beat Jacksonville State by a slim margin of 19-9? And why are teams like USF emerging? I wouldn't be surprised in 15-20 years if USF is the best team in the state, based on what I've seen over the last 5 years.

I guess the main question is, where do you see Florida college football in 10 years, and why is this happening? Don't these kids want to go to Miami and FSU anymore? If they still are nabbing great recruiting classes, is the why aren't they developing into elite talents, and why aren't they winning? Obviously, the talent pool of high school kids isn't shrinking, but it seems to me that the kids are migrating to other states for their ball, or they're just dispersing themselves more evenly to USF Will Miami and FSU ever return to dominance?

Everyone goes through ups and downs. Florida is the best coaching job in the country right this second. That could change in a year or few. Florida State appears to be on their way back up. Miami could be get back there at some point.

There is enough talent in Florida and Texas to support 2 dominant teams at a time... the question is which 2 programs are going to get most of it.

Central and South Florida are enormous universities in big population centers. UCF is in Orlando and South Florida is in that Tampa area.

For FSU, it was Bowden. The guy remained loyal to his coaches. Coaches who couldn't coach. Coaches who couldn't recruit guys with high character. We almost lost to JSU last year because we had just played a game five days earlier. We lost on Labor Day night to Miami. It was a physical, emotional game. Then to have to turn around and play JSU five days later, it was a huge letdown. Plus the receivers couldn't hold on to the ball at all.

The powers in Florida go in cycles. Miami had the 80s. FSU had its streak of 14 straight top 5 finishes from 1987-2000. They had 11 straight bowl wins as well. Two streaks that will most likely never be touched again. And Florida was a power in the 90s, but they have peaked to the top recently due to the fact that Miami and FSU have been in the crapper.

If you look at the state of the big three now, it's easily:

1.FSU
2.UF
3.Miami

FSU has the brightest future of the big 3 right now. We just rapped up a 10 win season. We will finish with a top 3 recruiting class, and have a good chance of having the number one recruiting class in the country. And we have the best coaching staff in the state.

First is that how you currently rank Florida teams? because FSU is better tha. Miami. But as. Guy who lived in Florida for 19 years I think I know the problems. Florida State started going downhill when Jeff Biwden became the OC. He destroyed the program. The hire of Larry Coker is what killed Miami. Sure he won them a championship but he also left the team in a much worse position. Add that to the fact that Miami doesn't have the money or facilities as other schools I don't see them dominating anytime soon. I actually think Florida losing Meyer is a good thing. He is great when he has great players. But he lacks the ability to alter his offense so without a Tebow or Alex Smith, he is average.

I think FSU and Florida will be fine. They will continue to challenge for championships. If you are looking for the next dominant team it could be UCF. They are the second largest school in the nation, have a ton of money, beautiful facilities, and access to great players in Orlando, Jacksonville, and Miami. If the Big East offers them a spot, I think UCF could dominate the league.

From 2001-09 FSU went through Bobby Bowden's fall from grace, or as FSU fans have come to call it the Lost Decade. He had given up coaching and retained numerous coaches who really had no business having their jobs, which is evidenced by all of them being unemployed today. The Jacksonville State game was followed up by the Noles going out to Provo and blowing the doors off of a good BYU team. By the end of 2009 it was finally obvious to the administration that Bowden needed to go when he suggested Chuck Amato be promoted to Defensive Coordinator and the change was made to let Fisher take over the program one way or another. Prior to that even though he was the HCIW, Fisher had no control over the program and ranked below Mickey Andrews and Amato on the totem pole.

Flash forward to 2010, FSU fielding a young defense (5 sophomores, 1 freshman starting) FSU improved from 108th in the country in total defense to 48th and went from no pash rush to leading the nation in sacks. This defense comes back virtually intact and the players replacing the departing seniors are all big talent upgrades Overall they went from 7-6 and losing to UF, UM, and USF to 10-4 with blowout wins over UF and UM and the first 10 win season since 2003.

As for recruits wanting to come to the schools the #1 class in the country will come down to FSU or Alabama (I'd guess FSU #1 in ESPN, Bama #1 in Rivals) so I think that would be an overwhelming yes that top players want to go to Florida State.

Florida and Miami will go down their own paths from here, but the one year head start FSU got on them in this new round of rebuilding has certainly been beneficial, especially with the absurd amount of talent FSU has brought in since Fisher took over.

Tell me how many Central Florida games you have watched? Maybe one? I've watched all but two plus basically every game FSU Miami and Florida have played and I'll tell you that the Knights would beat Miami. They would probably beat Florida too. But UCF and FSU lost close games to NC State so I think they would give FSU a good game. With their great defense and solid running game, they would be a very tough match up. and let's not forget that UCF has the beat record and was the only team to win a conference championship except FIU (and I doubt anyone will argue they are the best team in Florida).

2) UCF beat no one of note, FSU beat down UF and Miami, not to mention beating SEC East winner South Carolina in the game formerly known as the Peach Bowl.

3) Just no.

UCF just beat Georgia. I know they are down but it is still an SEC team. And against NC State, they played just as well as Florida State. But the real test is next year against Boston College and Texas (who they nearly beat a few years ago when the Longhorns were in the top 20).

That was without AJ Green and in one of Aaron Murry's first starts. And if Georgia sucks for losing to Colorada then Virginia Tech must really suck for losing to JMU and what does that say about FSU being dominated by the Hokies?

Even though they are in a BCS conference, they still aren't progressing well. Ten years from now, I think the rankings will be FSU and Florida fighting circuit top spot, UCF close behind, with USF and Miami fighting did fourth. And if FIU can keep their coach they could be pretty good too.

Just because they play in the SEC doesn't mean that they're some unstoppable force.

Just playing the string out here, UF and UGA played an OT game, so lets say for argument's sake they are about equal. Where UCF beat UGA by 4, FSU beat UF by 24.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wonderbredd24

When you say far from the worst BCS conference... what does that mean exactly?

The Big East welcomes TCU, so the ACC is battling it out with what's left of the soon to be dead Big XII for last among BCS Conferences, so... yea. Go ACC.

And Central Florida is going to be in a BCS Conference sooner than later... just a question of which one.

1) The ACC is better than the Big East, even with the addition of TCU. The ACC likely jumps the Big 12-2 and well looking out how the Big 10 has done in bowl games, I'd give the ACC the nod over them to.

2) UCF's best hope for BCS admission is actually for FSU to join the SEC and then grab their spot in the ACC.

Just playing the string out here, UF and UGA played an OT game, so lets say for argument's sake they are about equal. Where UCF beat UGA by 4, FSU beat UF by 24.

1) The ACC is better than the Big East, even with the addition of TCU. The ACC likely jumps the Big 12-2 and well looking out how the Big 10 has done in bowl games, I'd give the ACC the nod over them to.

You can't use that argument. UCF isn't a team that is going to blow you out. They rely on great defense and a solid running game. An I don't think you want to use that argument. Because based on that logic. JMU beat Virginia Tech so they are better. Virginia Tech beat Florida State so they are better. Thus, JMU is better than FSU.

1) The ACC is better than the Big East, even with the addition of TCU. The ACC likely jumps the Big 12-2 and well looking out how the Big 10 has done in bowl games, I'd give the ACC the nod over them to.

TCU would monkey stomp any team from the ACC.

As for the ACC over the Big Ten? hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahah ahahahahahaaha

That was without AJ Green and in one of Aaron Murry's first starts. And if Georgia sucks for losing to Colorada then Virginia Tech must really suck for losing to JMU and what does that say about FSU being dominated by the Hokies?

Nope. Green played against Colorado.

Virginia Tech had just lost an emotional game five days earlier to Boise State. Do you really think they wanted to play James Madison?